The frog prince
by The Poisoned Quill
Summary: Based on the frog prince, Three years after the Labyrinth, Sarah is left to take care of Toby. Things become wierd for her as she realizes that she doesn't care what Hoggle looks like, she loves him completely. But what will happen if she kisses him?
1. Chapter 1

She looked down at her leather book, it was worn and stuffed full of extra papers. Her tears fell upon the page she'd pulled out. It was a carefully sketched picture of Hoggle, his face scrunched in a rather annoyed look. The sight of her face in the mirror distracted her for a second, she remembered the last time she'd looked in that mirror. God, how things had changed.

Her long chesnut hair was up in a twist, accenting her much older face. It was hard knowing that four years had passed by in the blink of an eye. She'd hardly been home in those four years, her stepmother sent her to boarding school in order to straighten her out. Not that she needed straightening out, nobody understood what it was like to find out that your fairy tales were real and how much it hurt to pull away.

By time she got back from her first semester, she felt like a guest in her own home. They had given her room to Toby, so she ended up sleeping on the couch. The only person she remained close to was Toby, it was amazing to watch him grow. Still, even looking at him hurt, the mere memory of that labyrinth pained her.

Her face was tear stained, and for just a moment, she could see his face in her mirror again. "I need you, Hoggle." She whispered as he smiled and faded away. But this time he would not be sitting on her bed, waiting for her to turn around. Sarah stood up and walked out of her bedroom, searched for Toby.

Now a young boy of five, he was playing with his cars on the kitchen table. Silently, she leaned against the doorway and watched him. She had considered leaving, but that was impossible now. Thier parents had died in a car crash three months ago. Now that everything was settled, this was thier first real night back home.

He was silent, a sad expression on his face even though he played with his favorite car. "Toby." Her voice brought the boys face around to look at her. " Go get ready for bed."

He nodded and got up, running up to his room, his parent's room a few months ago. After fifteen minutes he came back down and tugged on her shirt. "Come tell me a story?" He asked quietly.

"I'll be up in a minute." She promised, kissing the top of his head. He was her responsiblity now.

When he was out of sight, she collapsed in the chair where he had sat. Taking deep breaths, she began to prepare herself for the pain that always came. She'd ask what story he wanted and he'd tell her he wanted the one about the girl and the goblin king. Of course she hadn't told him it was about them, not yet.

It was hard enough for her to survive without the story, she missed the people she met so long ago. They were still her best friends, even though she hadn't seen them in years. Her heart was breaking slowly, every day the crack became bigger. Deciding not to make him wait any longer, she started toward his room. On her way through, she picked up the book. "I can't take this much longer, I need you."

Heaving a sigh, she sat down on the edge of his bed. "Which story would you like tonight?"

"That one." He layed his hand on the book.

"Alright, try to go to sleep before I finish. " She tucked him in better. " Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Samantha. She was an angry girl, hateful and upset, but she had a good heart and never meant for anything to happen. It was only a story after all."

She dove into the story, ignoring the stinging in her heart, only barely registering that it was less than it should be. Just like normal, half of her story focused on her and her friends. At the end, after Samantha found herself back home, rethinking her life, Toby questioned the ending for the first time.

"Sarah," His voice was sleepy and stifling a yawn, " Did she just forget about them after that?"

"I like to think," She leaned in and pretended as if it was a secret, "That she went back one day. She didn't feel like she belonged anywhere else, so why not go to the place that feels most like home."

"You really think so?" There was a hopefulness that brought more pain to her heart.

"Yes." She kissed the top of his head, lied. "I think she did, how else would there be a happily ever after? Now, go to sleep."

He succombed to sleep as she tiptoed to her own room. Slipping the book into a drawer of her vanity, she turned to get a good look at her room. Toby had changed absolutely nothing and now, it would stay as a memorial toward her friends.

Overcome by the sadness she tried so hard to hide, she picked up a stuffed animal that really resembled Sir Didymus, and a bookend that looked just like Hoggle. Sinking onto her bed, she wept over them. "I don't understand." She shook her head, her voice stuffy, " I called, but you never came. You said you would."

"I came," Her head snapped up at the voice she hadn't heard in three years, that nasily grimace that she loved so much."Just three years later than I intended."

"Hoggle!" She dropped the statue, launched herself into his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

"We've missed you." He admitted sheepishly, trying to pull out of her arms.

"You aren't going anywhere for a minute." She informed him with a grin. "And I missed you too, all of you." After that minute, she pulled away, picked up the statue and set it back down where she'd gotten it. The stuffed animal remained on the bed, there was no need to move it yet. She was quiet, not quite willing to believe this was real.

"Sarah, what's wrong?" He limped over to her, touched her shoulder. He couldn't believe how much time had changed her. Her body had fully matured, the only way he was sure it was even her was when she looked him in the eyes. The eyes had never changed, thank god. But there was a great sadness there now, and it wasn't because he caught her crying.

"Nothing." She lied, keeping her eyes locked on everything on her walls. "I have to go check on Toby."

"You just tucked him in." Hoggle reminded her.

She walked out the door muttering, "But if you came, he probably did too."

"I wouldn't do that to you." He stood at her door way, both hands on his hips. He was angry that she had even suggested he would let Jareth hurt her in such a way. "Besides, he isn't the same man he was then."

"Sure." She laughed once, turning in the hallway to face him. "He's all puppy dogs and sunny afternoons now."

"Well, I don't know what that means." He walked closer to her, stopping a foot away. "But he heard your story, and sent me to help you achieve happily ever after."

"He's a little late for that." She whispered bitterly. "I can't pick up and leave now."

"You did once." He pointed out. "Why not now?"

"I didn't have a choice last time." She leaned against Toby's bedroom door. "And he has no one else now, he needs me here."

"You'd choose the kid, over everyone you left behind, you choose him." He accused her bitterly.

"Of course, Hoggle," Her voice was raised in anger, not realizing that she had woken her brother. "He's the entire reason I went into the labyrinth anyway, to save him from my mistake."

"So you were my friend because you had to be." He raised his voice to match hers.

" At first, yes! It was because I needed help. And you were my friend so that you could sabatoge me!" She went to continue but fell when the door opened. Toby stared at Hoggle, his eyes wide as he matched the sketch in his mind to the creature standing before him.

"Your Hoggle!" He pointed excitedly before it struck him, he gazed down at the girl laying at his feet. "Samantha's you?"

"That's right." She smiled, secretly planning to kill her dear friend.

"Then that means you lied." He glared at her, "There's no happily ever after, because she's too busy caring for her brother."

"That would not have made a very nice ending." She pointed out, seriously hoping someone was planning to help her up, or at least notice that she fell.

"I want to go with you." The energy returned to Toby's voice, "We can both have happily ever after that way."

"Your too grown up for your own good." She smiled a little. "Alright, deal." Settling for helping herself up, she rose. "But if it doesn't turn out ok, we're coming right back home."

"It will, I can feel it." He shut his door, allowing Sarah to glare at her friend.

"This is your fault." She muttered.

"How is it my fault?" Hoggle was defensive, not quite seeing the problem.

"How long until he realizes he was only thirty seconds away from becoming a goblin? How long until he realizes I put him in that kind of danger? Or that I left out so many horrible things." She leaned against the wall now, not trusting the door. "I never told him about the wild gang, or why we ended up in the bog of eternal stench. Even I don't know that, but I should have prepared him better."

He became quiet, seeing for the first time why she was so angry. "You couldn't have known."

"But I did." She insisted, "I knew somewhere in my heart that we'd end up back there, and I didn't think to prepare him in case I was right."

Toby's door opened, he was already fully dressed and had a backpack filled with random cloths. "Do you have Lancelot?" She questioned, smiled when he nodded.

"Good, I'll just be a minute." She disappeared into her own room. This was a disaster, she fumed as she pulled out a bag, she'd wanted a visit, that was all.


	3. Chapter 3

They stood on a hill so familiar to Sarah, staring at the labyrinth. Her arm was wrapped around Toby securely, ready to protect him from the things they might encounter. "It's bigger than I imagined. " He looked up at her. "You really went through all this to get to me?"

"And more." She nodded, "But it was my fault, remember?"

"No, it wasn't." He hugged her waist tightly. "You thought it was a story, that's what you told me. You didn't realize what you were doing."

"That doesn't exuse what happened." She kissed the top of his head.

Hoggle watched them with interest. He had never seen anything so perfect, they understood eachother perfectly. The boy was only five but he seemed wise for his age, and Sarah had a heart of gold, always had. So how Hoggle'd ended up on the outside of that heart, he had no idea. Athough he figured it probably had something to do with the fact that she'd called out to him several times for three years and he was just now responding.

After all, he could have come and got her before she was the only family left for Toby. But then Toby would have no family to turn to, so this was best. She just didn't see that yet.

He cleared his throat, "Well, we better get going before nightfall."

"True, someone has a bed time that was interrupted." She teased Toby a little. "Come on, take my hand." She linked hands with Toby before looking back at Hoggle.

"Where exactly are we going?" She tried to smile, this reminded her just a little too much of her first encounter with Jareth.

" _Your _staying with Jareth, _I_ have some things to do." He started walking, not wanting to see Sarah's face as she digested this.

"What?" The anger in her voice was well pronounced. "How could you do this to us?"

He turned, she'd never seen him so angry in all the time they spent. "Jareth happens to be a dear friend." He warned. "And I told you, he's not the same man. Something about knowing he couldn't get everything he wanted changed him."

"Fine," She straightened, "Let's just get there, I remember way too much for my own good."

The orange sky that once enthrawled her now frightened her. What would Toby encounter here, how would he get hurt? God, she was starting to sound like her stepmother.

But maybe it wouldn't be all bad, after all, she had met the three most important people of her life here. One of which was severely getting on her nerves. Toby looked back up at her as they walked.

"Jareth, is that the Goblin King?" He asked her.

"Yes, Toby, it is." She sighed, knowing where he was going with this. How would she answer his question?

"But I thought he was evil." Toby stated it, instead of asking. Asking would have been easier to handle.

"I don't know, Toby, I guess we just trust Hoggle when he says he's different now." She looked at her friend as he spared her a glance, they were still mad at eachother but the trust was still there.

"Why do you trust him, Sarah?" Toby asked, his curiosity too strong for his own good.

"Well, he helped me get through this labyrinth. Even when he was acting like a whiny little coward." She whispered with a laugh, they were just outside the labyrinth. For a second she let memories take her.

_She stopped when she saw the creature, her feet were already tired but she couldn't give up. He was small, about two feet shorter than her. He was peeing, god, did nobody have any decency? "Exuse me." She made her presence known._

_"Oh, uh, exuse me." He quickly pulled up his zipper, turned to look at her. "Oh, it's you." There was hesitation in his voice. Before she could say anything, he had some kind of tool. He was limping toward the wall._

_"Exuse me but..." She repeated, " I have to get through this labyrinth, can you help me?" He ignored her as he went toward some flying creatures near the wall. She followed him, her attention turning toward the fairies. "Oh, how sweet."_

_He sprayed one. "Fifty-seven." He kicked some dirt on her._

_"How could you?" She picked the small winged creature up. The small girl was so beautiful, long blond hair and a small framed body. A second later she felt pain and dropped the fairy. " It bit me." _

_The creature looked at her, "What'd you expect fairies to do?" He looked smug, superior._

_She looked up at him innocently. "I thought they did nice things, like granting wishes." _

_"Shows what you know." He laughed. _

_When his back was turned, she examined her finger. "Your horrible." She declared angrily._

_He was defensive when he turned back. "No, I'm not, I'm Hoggle. Who are you?"_

_"Sarah." She straightened._

_"That's what I thought." He turned to continue his work. _

Her thoughts were interrupted by Hoggle. "Sarah," He touched her arm. "I see it too, everytime I come back here." She looked him in the eyes. She couldn't be mad at him at the moment, not when she could see it so clearly.

"See what?" Toby looked at her, confused. She gazed at him with a smile in her eyes, then grinned back at Hoggle.

"You still kill fairies?" She teased.

"What if I do?" He fisted his hands on his hips. "Am I horrible?"

"No." She wrapped her free arm around him. "Your Hoggle."

They might not be completely over it yet, and there'd be more arguing. God knows, there'd be more arguing, there always was with Hoggle. But for now thier small gap was prepared.


	4. Chapter 4

Toby watched in awe as they maneuvered thier way through the labyrinth. Sarah'd only been confused once, when they turned left, insisting that a worm had told her never to go down that way. Of course, that was until Hoggle explained that it led straight to the castle.

She seemed aprehensive when they entered the goblin city. Although she relaxed when she saw that the city was bustling. Toby, who'd never seen a goblin before, was gazing at everyone with facination. Hoggle let out a huge whistle, the goblins turned and were silenced.

"Hoggle," Sarah looked around, it was dark now, everyone should be indoors somewhere. "Why is everyone here?"

"This wasn't my idea, Sarah." Hoggle backed up with a small smile on his face. "But maybe, it'll prove what I've been trying to tell you."

"Sarah." A smooth voice spoke from behind her. "Welcome back to the Underground." Toby hugged her tighter, his iron clad grip almost painful.

"Hello, Jareth." She nodded, "It's good to be back."

"I feel I must apologize," He stepped forward, "I was too used to getting everything, and that made me try to hurt you, which was something I never intended. Please, forgive me."

"I can forgive you." She smiled a little, "Hoggle trusts you so I trust you too. However, this little guy is a different story."

He knelt down to Toby's level. "I remember you." He said softly. "You were less than a year old."

"My sister tells me the story all the time." Toby clung to her. "It was a story until today."

"Did it have a happy ending?" Jareth smiled a little.

"Yes, but Sarah made it up." Toby nodded a little.

"Really?" Sarah was shocked that Jareth was being so nice with Toby, it made her wonder what it was really like for him during all of her adventures. "And what did she tell you happened?"

"She came back and lived here for..." He stopped, looked up at Sarah. "Is this happily ever after."

She knelt down next to him, now eye level with both him and Jareth. "The thing about happily ever after, is it's only ever a beginning. And things aren't going to be perfect all the time."

"That stinks." Toby scrunched up his nose.

"I know." Jareth laughed as the adults rose. " I've looked in on you often, Sarah, you've done a fine job these last few months."

"What happened?" Hoggle spoke again for the first time, quiet enough so that only she could hear.

"Our parents were killed in a car accident three months ago." She whispered before looking back at Jareth. "Thank you. I do the best I can, given the situation."

"Well." Jareth clapped his hands together. "I'm sure Toby has a bed time he's missed, so we'll make the introductions and get him off to bed."

"Introductions?" Sarah was confused, introduced to who.

"Toby, " He grinned, "I'd like you to meet Sarah's friends, whom I'm sure you've already heard of." His hand swept over the audience. From out of nowhere, as if rehearsed, the crowd parted and the two huge doors parted.

"Oh my god!" She ran through the parted group, big furry arms wrapped around her.

"Sarah." His deep voice parted the two syllables in that funny little way. His orange fur was warm and soft, just like his heart. "Ludo miss Sarah." Ah, his english was just as broken as ever.

"I missed you too, Ludo." She grinned. A little creature pushed between them.

"And what about me, Milady?" The higher voice between them made her laugh. She looked at the small dog like creature. Normally he'd be on his "trusty steed", Ambrosious. Without him, he wasn't even up to her knee.

"Sir Didymus, of course I missed you." She squeezed him before quickly standing up. "Come on," She took Ludo's hand. "I have someone I want you to meet."

Toby was still standing with Jareth, Jareth was grinning while Toby's mouth hung open. She followed gaze to Ludo, yeah, he was big. It probably intimidated the hell out of him, he'd get over it, everyone did once they got to know them.

With a twinkle in her eye, she ran her hand through Toby's messy blonde hair. "Toby, I'd like you to meet Ludo and Sir Didymus."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Toby." Sir Didymus took off his hat and bowed.

"It's nice to meet you too." He nodded, "Sarah, I'm really tired."

"That's what happens when you don't wait to travel until the morning." She smiled sweetly.

"I'll take you so that Sarah can stay here and catch up." Jareth offered him his hand.

"Thank you, Jareth." She hugged him quickly, blushing wildly when she released him. Turning to Toby, she kissed his head. "You have to be good, ok?" She waited until he nodded. "Now you get dressed and go right to sleep."

She stood back up, brought her gaze up to Jareth. "Please don't let him fool you, he's already had his bedtime story and he doesn't need any snack before bed to help him sleep."

"Your no fun." Toby crossed his arms.

"No, just well practiced in your skills." She stuck her tongue out at him before continuing to speak. "And thank you again, Jareth. You've been nothing but kind."

"Don't worry about it, he's a really nice kid." He bowed his head slightly, "I'll come back once I'm sure he won't sneak out. I look forward to getting to know you."

"Same here." She smiled again, sure for once that Toby was in good hands.


	5. Chapter 5

One hand was linked with Ludo's, the other was entwined with Hoggle. The only thing that kept her from getting dizzy as they spun rhythmicly was watching Sir Didymus in the center of thier huge circle. He was doing some kind of obnoxious dance with a female goblin but before she knew it she was being pulled into the center with Hoggle. Sir Didymus and his partner took thier spots as she just went with the music.

Thier bodies were moving with the beat, spellbinding her. It felt so great to be able to just party with the friends she held so dear. Life had left little time for fun, surviving on only dreams left a lot to be desired.

"What are you thinking about?" Hoggle's voice broke her from her trance. She gave him a smile.

"Even now, life follows me where I go." She laughed. "I left so many things here, I'll never understand it."

"What'd you leave?" Hoggle stopped dancing.

"I left my heart, that's for sure." She stood still now, looking away from him. "Nothing felt the same when I left."

"Knowing you, you probably left it with Jareth." He muttered.

A look of hurt crossed in her eyes, she had no idea how he could say such an aweful thing. "Why would you say something like that?"

"Sarah." He sighed, "Your a girl, your into the good looking guys, that's the way life is. So naturally, you'd fall in love with the person that most resembles a human."

She stepped back, away from him, with a look of disgust. "Do you really think I'm that shallow?"

"Everyone of your kind is." He pointed out, "Girls have posters on thier walls for a reason, thier attracted to nice looking boys.

"I can't believe you think that." She backed further away, "You don't even really know me, do you?" Before he could answer she broke through the ring of dancers and ran off, tears filling her eyes.

"That was brilliant, Hoggle." Jareth shook his head before looking at Ludo. He was probably the only one who could comfort her now, he seemed to make things better for everyone. Maybe it was just because people could really talk to him. " Sarah needs you, Ludo."

"Ludo and Sarah talk." Ludo nodded, his sad face understanding. He left the others to hunt down his friend. Sarah'd never called him anything or made fun of the way he talked. She'd been nothing but the best friend he always hoped for. And now that she was back, he couldn't stand to see her sad.

She was curled up against the inner stone wall of the city. When she saw him, she crawled up to bury her face in his fur. He wrapped an arm around her as she cried herself out.

No, now was not the time for talking about such things, that would have to wait.

Jareth certainly was letting Hoggle have a piece of his mind. The group of dancers watched angrily as he paced back and forth. "What ever happened to 'I won't do nothing to harm her.' That's what I want to know. She's been nothing but a friend to you, treated you better than anyone. For god's sake, she was your first friend, and you just threw that away. You took her feelings and threw them out a fifth floor window."

"Just stop." Hoggle put his hand up to keep him from continuing. "I know what I've done, and I've done worse to her. Only difference is, I don't want her forgiveness. I meant it."

"I know, Hoggle." Jareth's voice was dripping of disapproval. "And what makes this so sad is that you'll wake up and regret that you said it in the morning. But the damage will have been done. That's the magic of alchohol." He took the bottle that Hoggle was grabbing for and smashed it on the ground. "Now, I'm going to see how she's doing, because for once in our lives, your the bad guy and I'm the concerned friend."

As Jareth left, Sir Didymus seemed to take his place. "He's right you know, she doesn't believe in any of the things you claim she does. Your just afraid." Hoggle's eyes finally snapped away from the bottle on the ground.

"Afraid of what? I'm afraid of everything." He pointed out.

"Afraid she'll leave again."

"That's completely ridiculous. I don't need her here, I never had. I told her the truth, what more do you want?" Hoggle rolled his eyes, getting annoyed at his friends as he scanned the crowd for any unopened beer.

"No, you intentionally hurt her. We've both seen her room, yes? There's a stuffed animal of me and a bookend that looks like you, but I don't tend to recall a single photo of a human man that didn't have her mom in it. Now, good night, Sir Hoggle." He turned and scampered off.

Great, Hoggle thought miserably, now not only is Sarah pissed off at me. I've been able to get everyone else mad at the same time. A true accomplishment, that's what that was.


	6. Chapter 6

Hoggle sat up in his bed, his head aching from a hangover. Light filtered through the dingy windows, disturbing his eyes. His tongue felt furry and he just wanted to bury himself in the bed. The night flew back to him and he shook his head. Jareth had been right, he could only have said those things if he was intoxicated. He wouldn't have even thought of it if he was sober. Life was a cruel bitch and he was an angry drunk.

For the first time in a long while he looked around his small house at the edge of the labyrinth. God, he needed to clean up in here. But first, he would try his best to repair the damage he'd caused.

Sarah grimaced into the breakfast she'd been pressured to eat. Having had nothing to drink, she was clear headed and that just made things much worse. Nothing like reliving last night in clarity to make a girl feel better. The skirt she wore was one of her best looking ones, made of faded denim. It ended half way up her calf, with buttons up the front. A white blouse with puffy sleeves and a closed black vest were perfect to go with it, but she didn't feel perfect.

She couldn't eat anything else as she rose from the banquet table where everyone else sat, everyone exept Hoggle. "If you'll exuse me..." She began to make her exit but the door opened. There stood the rat, great, just what she needed.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" He smiled apologetically. She walked out past him, he took that for acceptance and begun to say whatever it was he came to say.

"That wasn't a yes, Hoggle." She bit, continuing to walk up a staircase. It was apparent though, as he managed to keep up with her, that he was not leaving until she listened. "I don't want to talk to you. Don't you get that?"

"I didn't mean it." He grabbed her arm. "Or maybe I did, but I was drunk." His stumbled explaination left much to be desired.

"What kind of an exuse is that?" She shook her head, pulled away from his touch.

"It's not, but I think things when I'm drunk, angry things. I was scared, and I hurt you, and I'm sorry." She could see the remorse, but she didn't care. He had said things she couldn't quite forgive, not yet.

"I understand, Hoggle." She stated carefully, preparing to run up the rest of the stairs. "But I can't forgive you, not right now. That wouldn't be fair to either of us." Then she was gone.

He watched her retreating back, he never believed she would actually run from him. Of course, two days ago, he never believed he'd see her again.

The door to her room slammed shut as the tears came again. Sniffling, she dug through the backpack she brought and pulled out her book. The pictures were scattered on the bed in minutes, only one had her attention. It was a close up she did of Hoggle, just his face. His imperfections, which were too numerous to count, had always just made her more attracted to him. His cowardly nature was one of the many.

He didn't care how he looked, and after long, niether did she. He was beautiful the way he was. Every thing about him that made him repulsive to everyone else just drew her in further. Out of all of her friends, he was the one she missed the most.

She'd never stopped to think about why, it was just a given. She always assumed it was because she was the first person she met, exluding Jareth. But as she stared at the sketch, she knew that wasn't it. His statement that all human girls fell in love with handsome men couldn't be more wrong. After all, she felt attraction toward him because he wasn't the same.

Every guy she met looked exactly the same, the same hair, the same clothes, the same conversation. He was the only one in her mind that didn't fit in. Ludo and Sir Didymus didn't count, they were too much like brothers for her to include them.

She gulped as she picked up the papers, she was in love with him and she never realized it. Maybe if she had told him before, none of this would have ever happened. Maybe he wouldn't have even wanted her to come back, if he didn't feel quite the same. That would have saved a lot of heart break right there.

Liar. She hated liars, yet she was lying to herself. Without seeing all of them again, she would have been twice as miserable. There would have been nothing to keep her alive exept for Toby. And eventually he would have grown up and left, leaving her alone with no real reason to go on with life. So maybe this pain was best, and she could accept that. For now.

He was standing outside her door, trying to decide how to best approach what happened at breakfast. Really, he just wanted to make sure Hoggle hadn't found a way to hurt her more. That would have been cruel, and worse, he would have been sober this time. Shaking his head as he remembered his friend's behavior, he stepped into the room.

Her head shot up. "Oh, Jareth, hi." She was distracted, that much was plain enough to see. Her eyes kept flitting over the room, as if expecting something. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I, uh, came to see if you wanted to talk. I can't imagine what he would have said but if..." He stopped when she started laughing, it was good for him to hear. He'd never heard her laugh before last night, and even that was cut short.

"No," She shook her head as she fought to compose herself, "He was nothing but a perfect gentleman, I just needed to think about some stuff. Thank you though, for caring enough to ask."

"Listen," He said slowly, "I know he said some things. But you managed to forgive me well enough, I caused four times the damage and waited for three years to actually apologize. Do you plan to forgive him?"

She nodded, "When the time is right."


	7. Chapter 7

**For those of you who noticed, Chapter four is now fixed and is in fact chapter 4 not just a repeat of chapter 3. For anyone confused, Sarah trusts Jareth because he's done nothing yet that would keep her from trusting him. I like making him the good guy:) Also, yes there was alchohol at that party but Sarah was completely sober. I'm writing thirteen chapters, so this is almost done, I promise. THANKS EVERYONE:)**

* * *

He held the crystal in his hand, it'd been a gift from Jareth although he never used it before now. If this thing could read thoughts, it'd be even better. All he could do was watch her look at pictures. He couldn't even clearly see the pictures but watching her was enough.

She was so beautiful, even if she was hiccuping from crying alone in her room. He'd never told her how beautiful she looked, a goddess even at fifteen years old. But now, as an adult, she was five times more potent. It was wrong and he knew it, but he just wanted to see her.

She was the only girl he felt so strongly attatched to, the only one he could be himself around. Shaking his head, he put the crystal down. He respected her so he wouldn't invade her privacy any longer.

No, he didn't respect her, that was too small of a term. She was everything to him. The room lit up when she smiled, everyone became so much more relaxed at the party last night. She was his courage, the reason he didn't run from trouble anymore. There, in his poorly lit house, he came to realize the most important thing in his life.

He was in love with her. He didn't really understand it, and he couldn't really pinpoint when. Sometime between the the day she met them and the day she came back, he fell in love with her.

But she could never love him, he was ugly and selfish and just plain horrible to be with. He would never be worthy of her, she deserved someone who could look good next to her. Ha, someone that was simply her height would be enough. She deserved someone who made her happy, who could be there for her when she needed help with Toby. Damn it, he cursed himself, she deserved to fall in love with Jareth.

It wasn't going to happen though, he'd seen the way they acted last night. They weren't going to fall in love, just really close friends. He cursed violently as he began to search his cuboards for any left over beverages from last night. Then stopped cold when he remembered exactly what the bottle had caused. In his heart he vowed to never touch another drop.

A crystal floated through an open window. Out of habit, he caught it without thinking, stared into it. Inside the ball was Jareth's face, his eyes peering straight into Hoggle's. " Tomorrow evening is the _official_ welcoming ball. I expect you to be there, in proper attire, and you_ will _behave. I won't stand for any disruption."

He looked away, almost instantly wishing he could return it and pretend it never arrived. However, Jareth was smarter than that, he'd know who recieved what.

Looking around the room, he figured it was time to dig out his good suit.

Sarah had brought along one formal gown, the one she wore to prom. Thankfully, it wasn't too wrinkled from being in her bag with a couple of other things. Toby sat on her bed, swinging his legs back and forth, rambling about the game Jareth and Ludo had taught him. She was glad he was having fun, and she was grateful that she had people to help her take care of him now. It wasn't all up to her anymore.

"Do you have your suit?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Duh, you told me never to go on a long trip without it, remember?" He rolled his eyes. She gave him her best stern look before turning away with a grin on her face.

"Your too smart for your own good." She laughed when he stuck his tongue out at her. "And someone's going to remove that tongue if your not careful." It quickly returned to the inside of his mouth.

"Why do I have to go to a silly ball?" He whined after a couple of minutes.

"Because Jareth's hosting this for us, and it's be very rude to back out." She turned and winked at him. "Besides, I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with Ludo, you won't even notice me making out with a stranger in a very dark corner.

"Sarrraahhh." His whine was longer, more annoyed. She giggled and set the dress on the bed.

"Alright." She nodded solomnly after a minute. "No making out, just some serious kissing."

"Sarrraahhh." He complained again. She smacked at him playfully, he darted off the bed and out her door.

Jareth was standing there when the doors opened. "That was geneous." He laughed.

"I know." She put her serious face back on. "Was there something you wanted?"

"No." He shook his head sadly, "I just thought you should know that everyone accepted thier invitations, everyone exept one." Neither wanted to admit who, but they already knew.

Hoggle wasn't coming.


	8. Chapter 8

Her heart did flips as she stood in front of the mirror, he wasn't coming. He truely didn't feel the same way she did, why else would he stay away? Her eyes were sad even as her face was lit up, mostly due to makeup. She struggled with her hair, putting it up in an elegant twist before turning to the three flowers she had picked earlier that day.

They were a beautiful powdery pink with long, think peddles. Carefully, she stuck them in strategically, creating the exotic look she had at prom. Quickly she slipped into her dress, the green silk fit like a dream, cutting down to show more cleavage than her mother would have approved of. The skirt brushed against the floor, even in her highheels. It was easy to see why she had been asked out several times at prom. She only hoped it could work the same magic here.

There was a knock at her door. "Come in," She called as she draped her regular clothes over the footboard. She'd want those as soon as possible. Making sure she didn't forget anything first, she turned to greet her guest. "Wow." She mouthed dramatically as she took him in.

She'd never really paid any attention to her before, never really got a good look at what he wore. He was standing there in black leather boots that ran straight into black leggings. A purple jacket fit nicely over a ruffled shirt. His hair had matching purple streaks, making him look even more unreal.

"And you." He nodded his approval, there was no doubt who she was dressing up for. She was clinging to hope that Hoggle woudl show. It was a good thing then, that he lied for the good of both of them. Hoggle had responded almost instantly, and in fact rather rudely. But Jareth had wanted to check his assumption, and now he knew, she really was in love with the dwarf.

And Hoggle, well, he already knew how he felt. It was in his eyes while they danced together, before he screwed up. Even then, he saw the pain of loss as she walked away from him. Somehow, the two people who loved eachother best had ruined every moment they had to tell eachother the truth.

"What is it?" She placed a hand on his arm. He took her hand with his other, removed it from his arm and held it in his own.

"When you see him tonight, tell him the truth." He requested. "You both need this."

She looked away, ashamed that it was so obvious. "What if he really believes what he said, that all human girls are shallow?"

Jareth freed one of his hands to cup her chin and force her to look at him. "Then he's not worth the effort. However, no matter what he thinks of human girls, he knows your not like that. You've got to trust that."

Hoggle was standing in his bedroom with Ludo, straightening his tie in the mirror. He hated wearing a tux, but had to admit, it looked a whole lot better than what he normally wore. His whitish hair was slicked back. Secretly he wished dwarves weren't born with white hair, it made him look so old. Why would anyone love someone who looked as old as he did?

Ludo tightened the bowtie he wore. He was in a similar suit, loose enough that he could move freely, but tight enough so that it wouldn't fall off. When Hoggle looked at him, he was staring back.

"What're you looking at?" Hoggle glared at him.

"Hoggle love Sarah." He said slowly, his english as broken as always.

"You don't know what you talking about." Hoggle walked around him, looked out a window that faced the castle.

"Ludo see, Hoggle care much for her." He continued as if Hoggle had never spoken. "Sarah loves Hoggle too."

Hoggle just shook his head and looked back the huge orange furred creature. "We're gonna be late, come on."

Ludo just stood there with a funny look on his face. He knew how Hoggle felt, it should be that hard to admit. Yet it was Hoggle, he had a hard time being friends with people, let alone something more. So, because they were obviously not going to help themselves, Jareth and Ludo set out on a plan to tag team them.

Later, when nobody expected anything, they would push the two together. But first, they need to warm them up, make them admit how they felt to other people first. Hoggle wouldn't budge, yet.

Ludo shrugged. "Maybe Sarah dance with Jareth. Make good couple."

"What?" Hoggle swung around to face Ludo. "No, your wrong. Jareth and Sarah are friends, nothing more."

"Then who dance with Sarah?" Ludo tried not to grin, this was too easy. He was much smarter than he looked, he just couldn't talk straight.

"I'll dance with her." Hoggle insisted. Ludo let the grin spread, that was the best they'd get from him for now.


	9. Chapter 9

The ballroom was dimly lit, exept for the dancefloor, a circle of light in which people twirled around on. The room was filled with the well dressed goblins, she stood a good three feet taller than most of them. It felt so natural to her, like coming home after taking an extended vacation. Toby was uncomfortable in his suit, but he kept an eye on the door so that he'd see when Ludo arrived. So when he saw the furry red creature, he was gone.

Sarah continued to watch the dancers, wondering what it would feel like to be twirling around on the dancefloor. Sure, she'd danced at prom, but her date had two left feet so slow dances or waltzes were out. With a sigh, she sat down at a table, only to be pulled back up by Jareth. Both hands in his.

"Dance with me?" He smiled. She gulped and nodded, realizing that she knew nothing about ballroom dancing. Jareth laughed when he saw her face, full of panic and preparing for humilation. He kept both of her hands, faced her as the stepped onto the floor. "Don't worry, I'll teach you."

While one hand stayed in his naturally, the other rested on his shoulder as his freed hand sat on her waist. The rest seemed almost instinct, before she knew it they were dancing. It was a couple of minutes before she could speak again. Something was up, Jareth was spending a whole lot more time with her than expected. "Why do I feel like your trying to set me up with Hoggle?"

He twirled her around and grinned as they resumed the position naturally. She was a born dancer. "I don't know, is it working?"

"Well, he's not here." She pointed out. He stopped dancing, turned her to face the man across the dancefloor.

"You mean him?" Jareth pushed her toward him and walked off with a smile.

Hoggle couldn't move, god, he could only see her. The straps of her dress crossed her pale back in a delicate "x" in beautiful contrast. When she turned, he had to blink to make sure it was her. She seemed like an angel in green, staring back at him. If he hadn't been aware of it already, he'd know instantly that he was in love with her.

Jareth had told her he wasn't coming, so what was he doing here? Jareth was such a liar, she laughed to herself, but she couldn't hate him for it. He probably knew what he was doing. Hoggle stood in his suit, looking almost handsome, and she couldn't help but blush a little.

He limped toward her, avoiding the other dancers narrowly. "People need to watch where thier going." He grumbled once he was beside her.

"Your the one walking through the middle of the dancefloor." She shrugged.

"There's a solution to that." He tried to smile, but was confused, was she still mad at him?

"Really? What would that be?" She laughed at him.

"Being a coward, I believe very strongly in 'if you can't beat them, join them'." He held his hand out.

"I can work with that." She took his hand and placed her hand on his shoulder. It was different that dancing with Jareth, not only was he taller than her while Hoggle definately was not, she was extremely nervous.

Anybody who didn't know them would have laughed, they looked obnoxious. They could only be eye level if she were to get on her knees, but that never bothered them before. As they let the music take them, they managed to look elegant, twirling together as if they'd been created to dance with only eachother. But something was off, it didn't feel quite right, and both of them knew it.

"I think I need some air." She shook her head as she let go of him. He couldn't think as she turned to leave him, all he knew was that she wasn't getting away from him.

"I'll go with you." He offered, refusing to let her deny him that.

"Fine." She needed to get him alone, she knew how he'd react. All she needed was to talk to him for just a moment, to admit the truth. Quickly, they slipped out the door, to the gardens where she had gotten the flowers for her hair. It smelled so great out here, and she could see the stars. That was something she missed back home, there were too many lights there.

Slightly relaxed by the atmosphere, she sat down on a wooden bench. With a heavy sigh, Hoggle sat beside her. "I know you said you wouldn't forgive me but I..."

"Hoggle," She looked him in the eye, "I said I couldn't forgive you yet, but I forgave you sometime around dinner time yesterday."

"Really?" His jaw dropped.

"Yes." Her eyes diverted to her lap, "But I'm afraid I had to learn something before I could."

"What?"

She took a deep breath, looked him in the eyes, and muttered five small words. "I'm in love with you, Hoggle." The moment those words escaped, she saw everything she ever needed in his eyes. But a second later they were cold again.

He slid off the chair. "You can't be."


	10. Chapter 10

"Why not?" She stood up and took a couple of steps away from him.

"You deserve somebody who can help you raise your brother," He hated talking to her back, but he couldn't blame her, "Someone who looks nice standing next to you. Someone who won't screw up and insult you every five seconds."

She turned back to him, on the verge of tears. "I like that you don't look as good as all the other boys. If I wanted perfect, I'd freakin' go out with a male model. And I could if I wanted to. I'm not weak, I can handle the insults. But your also sweet, and caring, you realize when you make a mistake and you try to correct it."

"Don't do this, Sarah, please." His eyes were pleading, his will wouldn't last against her and he already knew it.

"Why not?" She sat back down. "You don't know what I feel when I'm around you, what I've always felt. Being with you, it's like being whole when there's a gap in my heart that's almost always there. I need you, don't you get that."

"You can't need me, it's not fair to either of us." Hoggle insisted, grimaced at her. Her eyes flashed, anger heated them in a passion she so rarely showed. Within seconds she was up again, seeming not to be able to hold still for long.

"Fine." Her hands were clentched into fists, nails biting through the skin and making her bleed. The pain was a welcome distraction. "Tell me you don't love me and I'll leave it alone. I'll never bring it up again and we can forget this ever happened."

"I don't love you." He examined the flowers that were growning beside the bench.

"Now look me in the eyes and tell me." She insisted. She scooted across the bench so that she was sitting practically right next to him. He had no choice but to do as she asked, losing himself in the olive green eyes he cared so much about.

"Alright, I love you, but I'm not going to let screw up your life like this." He couldn't move, god, he couldn't even breathe. She was so close, he could smell her hair, a rare thing indeed. She smelled of cucumbers, cool and fresh.

"Thank god you don't get to choose the mistakes I make." She smiled brilliantly. She acted fast, kissing his lips quickly before he could pull away. He stared at her, unblinkingly, as she sat back on the bench.

Shocked by her own brave move, she jumped up and ran back inside. She'd never kissed someone before, wasn't sure whether he should have. He'd just stood there like a statue, not reacting at all. What if he had lied to get her to shut up? God, that would be horrible.

As she sat at the table and buried her head in her hands, she thought of what an idiot she'd been.

Hoggle hadn't been able to chase after her like he wanted to, for certainly he would pass out. His head was spinning and he knew any second his dinner would be all over the ground. So it came as no suprise when he bent over and hurled.

His vision turned foggy and he tried to stand up straight. Unfortunately, seconds later, he was on the ground, seeing nothing but black.

He wasn't dead, he couldn't be. And yet, he stood in the light as a red headed woman stepped out of nowhere. "Where am I?" He started, but stopped when he didn't recognize his own voice.

His voice was smooth and deepened, not whiny and nasily like usual. "What's going on?" He asked the woman. She wore black, her pale face jagged yet beautiful. Somehow he was sure he'd seen her before.

"You don't really remember me, do you?" She shook her head with a laugh. "It's not suprising, after all, it's been twenty-four years. Maybe I can show you." She held out her hand, willingly he took it, not noticing how different his hand looked.

He felt like he was falling as everything went black again, and a minute later they were standing in a beautiful cottage. "Do you remember any of this?" She looked at him curiously, he was trying to take it all in.

"I would have been one." He nodded slowly, there were things he never wanted to remember, and this was it.

"This was the day you lost everything." She murmered, walked toward the kitchen. Ten seconds later there was shouting.

"How dare you do this to me!" A woman with curly black hair that hung over her shoulders stormed through the door. She was fuming, turned back to a younger version of the redhead. "There is nothing I have that you want!"

"Silly girl." The redhead got within inches of her face, her eyes spoke volumes. "All I want is your son. I see what's in store for him, but I can give him so much better. You don't have the money to care for a child the way he'll need to be cared for."

"Hoggle's mine." The raven haired girl ran for a doorway, came out holding a baby. She was trying to lull it to sleep. "Please, leave."

"Then this is for your own good." The redhead smiled wickedly, pointing at the baby. A pink lightening bolt struck the baby as the mother screamed. He started crying as she pulled away to look at him. His face was different, he wasn't the beautiful baby she gave birth to. And all her love for him crumbled away.


	11. Chapter 11

The older woman turned to look at him. "I'm sorry you had to see this, but you have to understand. I saw your life's journey before you were born, this was meant to happen. Otherwise, you would never find happiness."

"So, your the reason my parents dumped me when I was five?" He tried to be angry, but he couldn't be, it all made too much sense.

"They would have treated you as a slave, it was for the best. You would have become corrupt, and would have shut yourself out from love completely." The woman looked away as the world went black again. "Though I can't tell you I was completely selfless when I tried to take you."

"You made me ugly." Hoggle shook his head angrily. "No girl would want a creature like me." No girl but Sarah, he added silently.

"That would be the point, now wouldn't it?" She winked.

"I don't understand." He blinked, they were in the white again.

"You needed love." She placed a hand on his arm, almost mothering in a way. "Everyone does. The spell was only meant to last until somebody showed you real love, unconditional love. Then you would be returned to your true self."

She was grinning at him, waiting from him to realize what she was saying. "So, I'm human?" He smiled a little.

"Not exactly, your the same race as Jareth, which is pretty close to human." She shrugged. "This is a good thing, Hoggle. You were worried about being not good enough for her, now you can be exactly what you want for her. Now go, stop waiting for the moves to be made for you." Blackness overtook him one more.

This was the last he'd see of her, the spell being broken, as he woke up in the gardens. Standing for the first time on human legs, he followed after Sarah.

Jareth sat with her, kept a hand on her back as she tried to stifle the tears. His eyes scanned the room, ready to skin Hoggle alive. Instead, he saw a man with long black hair that was tied back. He was very tan and there was something in his eyes, he was so familiar. The man looked straight at him and nodded with a smile. Shocked, Jareth gasped.

Sarah sat up straight at the sound, searching for a reason. Then she saw him, the most beautiful man she'd seen in a while. His features were sharp, he seemed a little bit like magic. Somehow she was certain she'd seen him before, even though she knew that was impossible. She'd definately remember seeing him.

"Who is that?" She breathed.

"Would you believe me if I told you that's Hoggle?" Jareth laughed. She shook her head no, but there was something there, and she knew he was right. She couldn't believe it, but here he was, almost human. She rose to face him.

Hoggle looked at her, he couldn't believe he had almost let her go. She'd never looked more beautiful, faint black lines running down her cheeks. It struck him in the heart when it was obvious that he was the reason she was crying.

He walked over to her, stood within inches of her. "It's me." He said finally.

"I know." She shook her head, "I know."

"What's wrong?" He reached out to touch her cheek, she flinched away.

"You'll understand if I can't do this." She stepped back, shocking almost anyone. "Your not the same man I fell in love with." She walked away, toward Toby. Jareth followed her as Hoggle continued to stay away.

How could she fall out of love with him so quickly? He'd thought becoming beautiful would be the best thing to happen to them, but it had quickly turned into the worst. She wouldn't let him touch her, what a twisted turn in fate that was.

The woman was confusing and impossible to figure out. But god knows, he'd try. And he'd convince her that he was officially her best option. The tables were turned.

Sarah didn't want to face this. If this part of him was different, what else had changed? She didn't want prince charming, that would be terrible. All she wanted was Hoggle, and she had no idea if he was the same man or not. Outside, in the hallway, she stopped to face Jareth.

"Why are you running from him?" He asked breathlessly.

"I don't know him, he's not the same." She leaned against the wall. "I'm scared."

"Talk to him for three minutes." Jareth stood beside her, "and I'll bet he screws up and insults you. It's the same Hoggle, it always has been."

"You know what's going on?" She accused.

"That's for him to tell you, but I can tell you that it's about damn time." Jareth smiled wickedly.


	12. Chapter 12

She was up in her room, not wanting to face the world yet. It'd been three days and still it seemed like only an hour ago. A book lay on the bed as she sketched furiously. It was the new Hoggle, drawn from a memory burned into her head. He was there every time she closed her eyes, there was never an escape.

Finally done with it, she pulled the page from the book and folded it, sticking it in with all of her other drawings. Laughter could be heard from down below, she looked out the window curiously. Jareth and Hoggle were playing hide and seek with Toby. Toby spotted Hoggle almost immediately, he obviously was used to the size difference yet. Hoggle scooped him up and threw him in the air, catching him effortlessly. The laughter that escaped Toby's lips floated up to touch Sarah's ears and her heart. Hoggle looked up toward her room, her heart skipped a beat as his eyes met hers and he smiled.

She pulled away from the window, not wanting to draw any more unwanted attention. Her heart pounded in her chest as she sank down onto the bed. That look, she'd seen it so many times over the years. It was the same look her father gave her stepmother after a fight, the look that said he'd be patient and wait for her to come around because he loved her. What was she supposed to say to a look like that?

Hoggle'd seen her, and he knew she saw him. For just a small second it was like the world was balanced again, but the moment she looked away it was off center. He wanted to hold her against him, kiss her until she melted into him. All the things he couldn't give her before. God, he wanted to dance with her again.

And although he promised himself he would wait until she was ready, he couldn't resist any longer. He practically ran to her room, knocked impatiently. The door opened a little, she peered out at him. "I don't want to talk to you." She mumbled.

"Just for a moment." He pushed his way in as the door swung shut. She stood there in shock, not used to his new found sense of strength. "I'm still me, Sarah." He sighed, stepping closer to her. She responded by backing up into the door.

"I know that." She whispered, looking away from him.

"I don't believe you." He closed the distance, her eyes widened in alarm as he braced himself against the wall. "I'm still the same mean grouch I was, just a little better looking." When she shook her head at him, he couldn't help the wave of impatience that crashed over him. "Why can't you understand? This, this was for you."

"Who said I wanted it?" She shoved at him but he wouldn't budge. "I fell in love with the Hoggle I met back at the beginning, not this Prince Charming stereotype."

"Damn it, Sarah." He pressed himself up against her, felt her shiver beneath him. "I'm not trying to be Prince Charming, that's what I've been telling you. I'm still that Hoggle, it's just easier to be with you now."

"And how is that?" She sighed, trying not to think how close together they were. His hand caught the back of her neck, pulling her lips to his. His kiss was fierce, yet gentle. She buried her hands in his hair, pulling him closer. He let his hand rest at the small of her back, pulled back to breathe. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were wild.

"Try doing that as a dwarf." He laughed breathlessly. He clung to her, smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"God, I love you." She breathed, trying desperately to put her thoughts together. "I'm so stupid, your so stupid, we're both complete and utter morons."

"I have to agree with you there." He nodded. "But at least we're not alone and stupid." She chuckled against the fabric of his shirt, breathed in the scent of him. Somehow, it was like she'd been waiting for this her entire life.

Then he pushed her back enough that he could step away without her falling over. There was a small smirk on his face. "I believe you owe me a dance."

"Maybe I do." She stepped into the position easily, feeling oddly comforted by his touch when he placed his hand on her hip. There was no music but they didn't really need any. It was flawless, each dancing as if they'd had years of practice. She spun effortlessly under his lifted arm, smiled when the space between them got smaller and smaller.

The feel of her against him was driving him insane, he felt like any moment he might explode. Another spin, this one almost lightening fast, for niether one of them wanted to let go for long. Exhausted, Hoggle just held her to him, waited while his head stopped spinning.

She squirmed beneath him, causing him to groan. "Are you alright?" She pulled away to look him in the eyes.

"Not until you agree to spend the rest of your life with me." He shook his head, kissed her forehead.


	13. Chapter 13

_Ok, so this is the last chapter, I forgot to add this small piece to the end of chapter 12, so here it is. I hope everyone enjoyed it, I know it wasn't the worlds most popular pairing, but it was something I just had to try. In case you hadn't figured it out already, the thirteen chapters was a tribute to the thirteen hours in which Sarah has to solve the labyrinth. _

_Disclaimer: Does anyone ever actually claim anything? Obviously, I don't own Labyrinth or anything in it. If I did I would keep Jareth for myself and throw my entire art class into the bog of eternal stench. _

_Thank you to my reviewers, I love you all, in the appreciative way of course._

* * *

_Ending of chapter twelve_

"And if I say no?" Her eye quirked upward, challanging him.

"You won't." He promised, leaning down to kiss her jawbone. She shivered in response. No, she wouldn't say no to him, not ever.

* * *

She could feel the butterflies in her stomach as she smoothed out the snow white skirt. A ring of white flowers sat on her head like a crown, replacing the traditional viel. The dress ended at her ankle, revealing the white sandles she wore underneath. It flowed very naturally, showing off only the right curves. In essance, it was a summer dress, designed to move with the wind.

She couldn't believe they were finally getting married, but here she was, after three years. No one should have to endure a three year engagement, it was torture. But Hoggle had insisted upon waiting until after Toby's eighth birthday, though she never did understand why.

There was a knock on the door, telling her it was time. She'd had to prepare alone, having no female friends she could make bridesmaids. It'd been her original intention to invite Hoggle's mother, throw her son's future in her face, but she couldn't stand to hurt him like that. So she suffered through preparations alone, and was happy with the results.

Jareth had agreed, almost immediately, to walking her down the aisle. He may not be her father but he was the only friend she had who wouldn't either run into things or make her bend down to grab his hand.

The doors opened, she smiled brightly as the butterflies threatened to escape. The garden stretched out before them, the same garden where she first kissed him. Jareth offered her his arm, she nodded and took it as the music played. Moving in a slow, practiced rhythm, they walked down the aisle.

All the guests were standing, watching her, but she could care less. The only thing she saw was the man in the white suit in front of her, his smile warming her heart instantly.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing, there were no words to describe her. Her hair was curling loosely underneath the wreath of flowers. The fabric around her legs seemed enchanted, moving slowy as she walked. He wondered if she even knew how stunning she was, she never did seem to notice things like that.

Jareth took her hand and carefully placed it in Hoggle's. They'd found the old man with the funny hat to do the service. It'd taken some convincing, but several contributions later, he agreed.

She smiled up at him, still adjusting to not looking down to talk to him. The man began talking as she tried to focus. The pure exhiliration on Hoggle's face was enough to direct her attention away from what he was saying. She just barely caught the words, "Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do." Her smile became brighter, tears of pure joy found thier way into her eyes.

"And do you take this woman to be you lawfully wedded wife?" Hoggle looked into her eyes, she saw everything in the world there. All she might ever need she could find with him.

"I do." He nodded. A tear escaped and rolled down her cheek."Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." There came the words that Hoggle had been waiting for since that day in her room. She slid her arms around her neck as his hands rested on her waist to tug her to him. The kiss was sweet and gentle, not wanting to start anything niether of them could finish for a while.

As they broke apart the audience applauded them. They were all standing again, and prodominately in the front row were the three friends she'd come to rely on and the brother who meant the world to her. They went to greet all the guests, refusing to let go of eachother for more than a minute.

And as she bent down to kiss Toby she remembered what she told him when they came back. That happily ever after was just another beginning, another chapter to the story. She couldn't have found a more accurate description for this. "What are you thinking about, love?" Hoggle asked as he nuzzled her ear lovingly.

Her smile was distant, still half in thought. "And they all lived happily ever after."

With her words in mind, he kissed her again, passionate and desiring. "Ain't that the truth." He murmered as he pulled away enough that thier foreheads touched.


End file.
